Spike TV has finally released the trailer for their adaptation of “The Mist“. Based on the 200 page novella by Stephen King and drawing from the 2007 movie of the same name. Th network has kept details of the show scarce. Until now!
This will be the story of a town trying to escape the nightmares that live within “The Mist”. All the while trying to survive the fear and danger that those around them will also pose. Very little has been revealed in the trailer. There is enough however to get us excited.
New Characters
The Copeland’s
Eve Copeland (Alyssa Sutherland) – A school teacher who has often been the center of small town gossip. She’s had a wild past that will catch up with her when she delivers a controversial sex education class. Show creator Christian Torpe has said in an EW interview, ”She was sort of a wild child, and the town still subliminally holds her sexuality against her. There’s a lot of misogyny under the surface.”
Alex Copeland (Gus Birney) – From the trailer it appears that she will be stranded with her mother. She has been described as the opposite to her mother. A young woman who plays by the rules but has started to develop a rebellious streak as “The Mist” rolls into town.
Kevin Copeland (Morgan Spector) – Described as the eternal nice guy with a strong moral compass. It will be interesting to see how his choices are affected by the mysterious mist outside. Torpe had this to say about him,“He believes in all the right values of kindness and forgiveness, but they’re easy values for him. He’s never been tested. I wanted to test: Does he have the courage of his convictions, or will he break under enough pressure?”
Small Town, Big Characters
The Copeland family aren’t the only characters we will be seeing in the show however.
Nathalie Raven (Frances Conroy) – The Copeland’s neighbor. Her character description sounds familiar to original movie villain Mrs Carmody. Part prophet, part martyr Nathalie sounds like she will be helping to fill the human horror aspect of the show. She is going to have strong ties with the town sheriff. With Conroy on board though, this is a role that will be captivating to watch.
Jonah Dixon – (Okezie Morro) – An amnesic soldier. In the trailer we are led to believe he is tied to the mysterious Arrowhead. A key feature of the movie were the links between Arrowhead and the arrival of “The Mist”. As his memory returns will the audience perception of him change?
Mia Lambert – (Danica Curcic) – She will be teaming up with Jonah. A Drug addict, she is in town searching for money. She appears battered and bloody at one point in the trailer. How far is she willing to go to get to the cash?
“It’s more about people seeking answers than the answers themselves,”
Gus Redman – (Isiah Whitlock Jr) – Mall facility manager. Thorpe had this to say about the character “With a good hundred survivors trapped in the mall, he tries to rise to the occasion and become the respected leader he always felt he was supposed to be. He’s trying to establish his own empire.”
Connor Heisel – (Darren Pettie) – The town sheriff. He is going to have a twisted “mother-son” sort of relationship with Nathalie Raven. He is the father to high school football player Jay. Will he have to suffer through the repercussions of his son’s violent tendencies?
Jay Heisel – (Luke Cosgrove) – The local jock and son to town sheriff. He has been accused of a brutal crime. In the trailer he appears to be kissing another male cast member before the situation turns violent.
Adrian Garff – (Russell Posner)- He will be “insecure young teenager who comes to the defense of his best friend Alex, after she is the victim of a brutal crime. A witness to the crime, he finds himself at the center of a controversy which threatens to rip apart the community.” Could be he the person Jay is kissing in the trailer?
Multiple Locations
The original movie and novella set all the action within the confines of a supermarket. The setting was part of what worked so well in the movie. There was no escape past the parking lot. The few who tried almost all failed. Even those who did escape found that the choices outside were unthinkable.
The trailer however shows us multiple locations. There’s the mall where Gus Redman will be located. There’s also a church which seems to house Nathalie Raven. Further adding to the Mrs Carmody feel to her character. Will she be preaching the word of the Lord though? Near the end of the trailer in flashes we see what looks like a hotel and a hospital. While these could be flashbacks it seems unlikely. One interesting shot in the trailer seems to the show grocery store from the original Darabont movie. Although this could just be coincidence. It’s also been confirmed that “The Mist” will roll in slowly to the town.
“We establish different little pressure cookers”
Adding multiple locations with different characters will be an interesting twist on the original. Especially if they used the chance to expand on the bones of the movie which will be taking place at the same time. It would be a good opportunity to show us what happened to the people in the chemist’s. A vital part of the original film. Building upon events that are currently happening only stands to add flesh to the original novella.
Potential Answers
In his EW Interview show creator Christian Torpe stated, “It has a constant ebb and flow communication with the novella. But who knows? Maybe some of the original characters will make a cameo at some point.” Could he be referring to Melissa McBrides character who was desperate to get home to her children and stood to be one of the few survivors? Eagle eyed viewers of the Frank Darabont movie also noticed a certain cowboy painting at the start of the movie. Could this show also provide a link with the upcoming Dark Tower movie? With so many Stephen King projects coming out this year, the opportunities to link is certainly there.
The Human Threat
While the trailer does hint at monsters from the great beyond, it goes to great lengths to not show any. We get a slight teasing with the below image taken from instagram. Not quite on the same scale as the Lovecraftian monsters from the original movie.
What we do get to see however is the human dangers. Much like the original, it seems that the majority of the horror will come within. Torphe seems to emphasis this “We look around at what’s going on in the world, and everyone is constantly looking for someone to blame, or someone to lead them to the promised land. They find people to hate, either because of their gender or race or faith. Those are elements we tap into — how fear drives things like misogyny and homophobia.”
Hurry Up June 22nd!
We also finally have an air date. The ten part series will be debuting June 22nd at 9pm. We will be tuning in eager to experience the horror once again. Will you?
